"If you don’t like it, change it; it’s your world." Bob Ross

Good Morning and Happy New Moon in Scorpio

I am writing to you as I look out my back window at a beautiful sunny morning. Hard to believe we are down to single-digit weeks left in 2020 when it feels we have been in this for the last 2,000 years.

My good friends are remodeling their master bathroom, and she picked some awesome colors for their new modern room. They painted last week, and the lines bled a little. I mentioned that I have a trick to make straight lines using caulk. She didn’t believe me until she saw my straight lines, which prompted her to ask what my caulk trick is. After a good laugh and some clarification, I was able to help her out. Their remodel project inspired me to do some work around my house.

So I have spent the last couple of weeks giving some love to my house. When I bought my home almost four years ago, I called it the fixer-upper. The house was in desperate need of updating. I could see past the original 1980’s light fixtures, linoleum flooring, grease-covered cabinets, and pink walls with matching carpet, but it was going to take a lot of work.

After a month of non-stop work, the house was starting to feel like a home, and little man and I moved in. I was burned out from renovations and decided to take a break. About a year later, I replaced all of the trim in the house and painted the doors and door jams. They were stained wood that had been beaten up and similar to wood paneling popular in the 1970s.

The project sucked.. no matter how many coats of paint I put on the door frames and stair rail, the wood kept bleeding through. I just left the new trim the primer color. I decided to take another break from home improvement projects that lasted another two years.

The inspiration from my friends pushed me to finish the trim, door frames, and stair rail. They look amazing; the brown isn’t bleeding through; it turns out I just needed one more coat of paint.

Inspired by how good the trim looks, I tackled my master bathroom. The bathroom is updated, but the color was awful, lime green. My girlfriend helped select new colors, and I went to work. One dark grey wall and the rest of the walls a light pink. The entire project took about a day.

The lines are perfect, and that is where my caulk trick came in handy. Painting is all about the prep work. I always take the time to tape the trim, ceiling, and in this case, the wall where the two colors would meet. Tape usually isn’t enough to ensure a straight line, so I run a small bead of caulk along with the tape and let it set up for a few minutes. Then I start painting with the brush along the edges.

Finally, I roll the walls, and that is when all the prep work and attention to detail pays off! The instant gratification of seeing the walls transform makes me very happy.

My bathroom now has a feminine vibe, new towels, and purged all the old beauty products I no longer use. I love the little space, and I am so happy with the results.

But it’s the unintended results that I get from the painting that is the most beneficial. Painting and prep work doesn’t take up much mental power, but it does require focus. Staying focused on the mundane task of not getting paint everywhere gave my brain a chance to rest from the 1 million things that have taken up space (pandemic, personal life, election, work, etc.). I listened to a book on audible or music and just painted.

The magic appeared a couple of days after I was finished. My mind was more clear than it had been in a while. I was able to tap into my creativity and use the momentum to make a list of new topics, ideas, and intentions for the next few months, making the painting and the trip to the chiropractor from twisting myself to get to the hard to reach spots worth it.

Do you have any “mundane” tasks that need to be completed? Maybe organizing a closet or the garage? Helping a friend with their projects? Cleaning out the basement (that’s next for me)? I am confident that you can find something simple to focus on so that your beautiful brain can take a break.

I hope that you are healthy, staying safe, and making the best of the world we are living in.

Have a great week.

Love,

Diane